Neutron radiation effects in GaAs junction field effect transistors

• Published in: IEEE transactions on nuclear science Vol. 35; no. 6; pp. 1480 - 1486
• Main Authors: Janousek, B.K., Yamada, W.E., Bloss, W.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-12-1988
• Subjects: Current measurement; Degradation; FETs; Gallium arsenide; Gaussian approximation; JFETs; Neutron radiation effects; Semiconductor process modeling; Threshold voltage; Transconductance
• ISSN: 0018-9499; 1558-1578
• DOI: 10.1109/23.25484

The effect of high-energy neutrons on GaAs junction field-effect transistors (JFETs) was investigated. The device threshold voltage, transconductance, and saturation current were measured before irradiation and following neutron irradiations with fluences from 6*10/sup 13/ n/cm/sup 2/ to 2*10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/. At 6*10/sup 13/ n/cm/sup 2/ the device degradation was negligible while at 2*10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/ the threshold voltage shift was 0.410 V, and the transconductance and saturation current were degraded to 49% and 17% of their original values, respectively. The threshold voltage shift was successfully modeled by applying nonuniform carrier removal to a Gaussian approximation of the p- and n-type doping profiles of the JFET. An average carrier removal rate of 19 cm/sup -1/ in the n region of the JFET resulted in calculated threshold voltage shifts consistent with those observed experimentally.< >